COFFIN-FLOP

Designer: Dr. Volker Latussek

This puzzle measures: 70 mm x 70 mm x 70 mm

Material: Am. Walnut / Am. Cherry

Dr. Volker Latussek wrote about it:
“Dear Mr Coffin, when your HALF HOUR was published as a packer at Cubicdissection last year, I myself played with your basic idea of splitting a 3x3x3 into three penta-cubes and three tetra-cubes to add a cube-shaped box with six pieces to my FLOP SERIES. That doesn’t work with your HALF HOUR, but there is actually a similar set of six pieces that has nice movements in and out of the box. I wonder if I can call the puzzle COFFIN-FLOP? Pelikan will publish the puzzle. Do you have any requests for the wood types?
 
STC: After all these years, what a surprise. I never was very good with names. Often that was the hardest part. I have been so busy with other projects lately that puzzles are now in my past. But they were fun, especially dissections. No opinion on type of wood. I used whatever was available. Keep up the good work.”
Stewart Coffin (STC), Massachusetts, born 1930, 05/10/2024

Kevin Sadler wrote about it:
“Over the last few years of reviewing the puzzles designed by Volker Latussek, I think the Flop series is my favourite because of the fabulous accessibility and challenge. I had thought that the series had ended but was very gratified to see the Coffin-Flop in the current batch. This one is beautifully made using American Walnut and American Cherry. It is beautifully chunky and consists of three tetracubes and three pentacubes. They are to be fitted into a 70mm across box with a 3x3x3 cavity the pieces consist of a total of 27 voxels which will completely fill the box with no gaps. 
 
You know from the beginning that this is going to be a huge challenge of first construction of possible cubes and then finding the single way they can be inserted through the limited opening (less than 2 voxels across). There will be rotations and there will be swearing! In fact there was swearing right from the beginning as the special transport placement of the pieces actually proved a challenge for this puzzler to remove from the box just so that he could get started. 
 
I adore these puzzles and was very gratified to solve it after just 2 days of work! If you have any of the previous Flop series then you should buy this one – it is brilliant!”